Mao

The Unknown Story

By: Jung Chang, Jon Halliday

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

Length: 29 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

“Ever since the spectacular success of Chang’s Wild Swans we have waited impatiently for her to complete with her husband this monumental study of China’s most notorious modern leader. The expectation has been that she would rewrite modern Chinese history. The wait has been worthwhile and the expectation justified. This is a bombshell of a book.” (Chris Patten, the last governor of Hong Kong, in The Times, London)

Based on a decade of research and on interviews with many of Mao’s close circle in China who have never talked before - and with virtually everyone outside China who had significant dealings with him - this is the most authoritative life of Mao ever written. It is full of startling revelations, exploding the myth of the Long March, and showing a completely unknown Mao: he was not driven by idealism or ideology; his intimate and intricate relationship with Stalin went back to the 1920s, ultimately bringing him to power; he welcomed Japanese occupation of much of China; and he schemed, poisoned and blackmailed to get his way.

After Mao conquered China in 1949, his secret goal was to dominate the world. In chasing this dream he caused the deaths of 38 million people in the greatest famine in history. In all, well over 70 million Chinese perished under Mao’s rule - in peacetime.

Combining meticulous research with the story-telling style of Wild Swans, this biography offers a harrowing portrait of Mao’s ruthless accumulation of power through the exercise of terror: his first victims were the peasants, then the intellectuals and, finally, the inner circle of his own advisors. The listeners enters the shadowy chambers of Mao’s court and eavesdrops on the drama in its hidden recesses. Mao’s character and the enormity of his behavior toward his wives, mistresses and children are unveiled for the first time.

This is an entirely fresh look at Mao in both content and approach. It will astonish historians and the general listener alike.

©2005 Jung Chang and Jon Halliday (P)2006 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"Sweeping." (Publishers Weekly)

"Chang and Halliday cast new and revealing light on nearly every episode in Mao's tumultuous life…a stupendous work and one hopes that it will be brought before the Chinese people, who still claim to venerate the man and who have yet to come to terms with their own history...." (Michael Yahuda, The Guardian)

"Boasts a monumental marshaling of detail and historiographically overturning revelations." (Booklist)

Great book

This was a great book with a fascinating history. Mao was a terrible person and anyone who believes communism is good idea should read this.

shocking in cruelty

it was hard to get thru because it was so sad. he used brainwashed college kids to start violence so it would be acceptable for him to use violence to kill his political enemies which ironically were those kids parents. he used starvation and torture to kill over 100 million of his own people and he set china back decades, its heartbreaking.

Traumatic reading

This is not light reading. It grips you. It pains you. It educates you almost too well on the havoc that a sociopathic demagogue and his cult following can wreak on hundreds of millions of people.

Profound Chinese History

I am grateful for this powerful history. I believed that Mao was a despot but I now understand that Mao was a monster. He was directly responsible for over 70 million deaths in his crusade to "modernize" China. This is a tremendous story that forever marks the cruelty, dishonesty, and malice for a tortured despot. This was a very long story but I am very appreciative of careful documentation and analysis of a very complex historical period. This is very valuable and lasting.

Important History must read

this is very important history that most people have never heard. should be required reading in all high schools or college.

Fascinating History but Opinionated

For someone who knows nothing about Chinese history this is a wonderful book. It is fascinating to see behind the scenes what happened and help me find China to be the country it is today. Clearly Mao was an evil and power hungry individual as this book portrays. The author though seems to have a personal vendetta to vilify Mao Zedong rather than portraying the history with objectivity. I'm also not too sure whether there is enough information to verify certain parts of this history but the author seems to use what makes most logical sense without discussing that there is room for other ways in which the history could have occurred.

Fascinating Read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Partly because I believe that it's a story that needed to be told and partly because I knew so little about China and it's history.

Who was your favorite character and why?

This is a biography - so, you could say that my favorite character is Mao, but not in a good way.

What about Robertson Dean’s performance did you like?

I did enjoy Robertson Dean's performance in spite of the criticism of his poor Chinese accent. Since I know very little Chinese, his Chinese pronunciation, or lack of, did not bother me. But, I can imagine that it could bother a Chinese speaker. It's a very difficult language and really enjoyed the audible delivery. Also, I had just finished The Swans, a book I highly recommend, either before or after this one and the tone of the reading felt right, although the narrator, a woman, for the The Swans did have better Chinese pronunciation.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were many moments, but definitely descriptions of what the people had to endure, was quite shocking. There was also so much to take in.

Any additional comments?

I think, at the end of the reading, I had questions about China's history and wanted to know more about how someone like Mao was able to come to power and stay in power for so long. I am listening to the Fall and Rise of China in the course series, which is beginning to answer some questions about the roots of Chinese culture and hope to continue to read more. Jung Chang is a wonderful writer and I plan to read more of her books.

Great Story...horrible Human Being

Mao was basically someone who got to be in charge of a gang...like the bloods or the crips...and killed so many of the Chinese people without regard for their lives or welfare that he really makes Hitler look like an armature. I'm hoping in hell he gets to experience the things he did to his people until the end of time.

Mao, worst person ever.

Great narrative, great narrator. Hilarious voice when quoting Mao. Listen at 1.25x speed. Get ready to map mao the flak catchers.

Interesting history and well read

The fascinating story about Mao and his sociopathic behaviour and utter disregard for human life.